Saudi Arabia carried out the executions on January 3, killing the al-Qaeda members and also a handful of Shi’ite protesters, including top Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. At the time, it was believed killing the Shi’ites was an effort by the Saudis to placate Islamist groups over the killing of the al-Qaeda members.

Ultimately that doesn’t appear to have worked as they’d hoped, with the killing of Nimr over the content of his sermons fueling an international backlash against the Saudis, and al-Qaeda still mad at them for executing its members.

Zawahiri even called out the Saudis on killing Nimr, calling it a “ploy” to try to win over Sunnis by spiting Iran, and saying it was done under the “umbrella of protecting and complying with the interests of America.”